The U.S. House of Representatives has long played a central role in shaping the nation's destiny. This single-volume history from National Book Award winner Robert Remini, published in association with the Library of Congress, traces the legislative body from its first faltering steps to the venerable powerhouse it has become since America's rise to prominence on the world stage. Throughout, Remini highlights the struggle between principle and pragmatism that is the essential drama of democracy.

"This chronicle of the U.S. House of Representatives ... bears no trace of dreary institutional history but, rather, emphasizes the most prominent figures among the 10,000 people who have been its members.... Remini's narratives make memorable how the pendulum of the House's powers has swung, both within its committees and the office of speaker, and in its external power struggle with the presidency and the Senate. Published under the aegis of the House itself, Remini's work is nonpartisan, civic-minded, and deserving of every library's consideration."—Booklist